


‘Rest and Sleep to Meet’

by Crowgirl



Category: James Bond (Craig movies)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Established Relationship, Insomnia, M/M, Not Beta Read, Sleep, Sleepiness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-10-01 17:21:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17248310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crowgirl/pseuds/Crowgirl
Summary: James never gets insomnia.





	‘Rest and Sleep to Meet’

James never gets insomnia.

It’s just a piece of information Q notices and files away until he realises it’s probably due less to the delights of Q’s flat and more to having to learn to be able to sleep anywhere under any conditions for any amount of time. Then it becomes a bit sad -- as so many facts about James are -- until Q gets one of his own periodic bouts of sleeplessness.

Then it’s bloody annoying.

* * *

It’s the third night and James doesn’t even budge as Q slips out of bed.

And Q congratulates himself on that, really, since he imagines that bringing James to a state of wordless keening with fingers and tongue the night before had something to do with it. 

* * *

But now it’s half two and cold and dark and he feels like he hasn't slept through a night in _years_ and if he stays in bed he’ll just get restless and fidgety and annoying as it may be, it isn’t actually James’s _fault_ that he sleeps soundly and Q doesn’t. 

* * *

So he pads into the kitchen, turns on the kettle, and opens the cupboard door to look gloomily at his array of teas. At one time or another, he thinks he’s tried just about every fix for sleeplessness out there and that includes a vast number of herbal teas. They look out at him now, all the neat colored boxes, all mocking him. 

‘In need of a pick-me-up?’ Arms slide around his waist and Bond rests his chin on Q’s shoulder. ‘I didn’t think I wore you out that badly.’

Q laughs, then sighs and lets himself lean back against James’s chest; James takes his weight easily, without comment, as he always does. ‘No. I woke up and couldn’t get back to sleep.’

‘Mm. That makes three nights now -- or is it four?’

Q cranes his head back. ‘Do you actually _sleep?_ Or are you just keeping watch on me the whole time? Because I’d’ve sworn you were snoring night before last.’

‘Agents of her majesty’s government do not snore,’ James says with affected dignity.

‘Trust you to over-achieve, then,’ Q says and squeaks as James gives him a brief, fierce tickling. 

James stops almost as soon as he started and smoothes his palms over Q’s sides. ‘Happens to you a lot, does it? Not being able to sleep?’

Q shrugs, weaving his fingers through James’s and bringing their hands to rest over his navel. ‘I don’t know if it’s a lot. Often enough.’

‘Mm.’ James reaches out and shuts the cupboard door, then switches off the kettle. ‘Come on. I can do better than tea.’

* * *

‘I think even your stamina might give out if sex is your solution to my not being able to sleep,’ Q comments as James tucks them back into bed.

‘Oh, ye of little faith,’ James says lightly, propping himself up on one elbow beside Q’s shoulder. ‘Now -- close your eyes.’

His fingertips graze over Q’s forehead, his eyebrows, and Q obediently closes his eyes and is rewarded with a brief, brushing kiss on each one.

‘Hush, now,’ James says, just as Q is about to make some quip about his faith and James’s fingers over Q’s lips make it impossible anyway. James pauses there for a moment, as if making sure Q isn’t going to try to say anything, then continues on, brushing his palm, warm and broad and smooth, over Q’s throat, along his collarbone, down first one arm, then the other, over his breastbone--

‘Are you petting me to sleep?’ Q asks and is a little surprised that it’s difficult to speak, as though his muscles have all relaxed from being in a slightly overwarm bath: his tongue feels thick and his lips are slow to respond when he wants them to. 

‘That depends,’ James says, not stopping. ‘Is it working?’

‘I...think it might be.’ Q draws in a deep breath and curls on his side, burrowing under James’s arm, closer to the sweet salt musk of his skin. James chuckles and goes with his movement, gathering Q against him with one arm and continuing his slow steady stroking with the other: over Q’s arm again, over the swell of his shoulderblade, down his spine. 

‘S’what’m I supposed t’do?’ Q mumbles against James’s shoulder. ‘Wake y’up t’pet me back t’sleep?’

James chuckles again. ‘Why not?’

‘W’t ‘bout when y’not here?’ 

‘If I am in England, love, there’s no other bed I’ll be in.’ There’s another kiss brushed against his forehead. ‘Sleep now.’

**Author's Note:**

> Title from [The Road Goes Ever On and On](https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/28950-roads-go-ever-on-roads-go-ever-ever-on-over) from _Lord of the Rings_.


End file.
